Prakash Paudyal was sentenced to eight months for the assault of an elderly dementia patient. Picture: John Grainger

Crime

Shocking footage leads to jail time

by AAP

24th Jan 2019 10:08 AM

A SYDNEY aged care worker who used a shoe to hit an 82-year-old man with dementia has been jailed for at least four months.

Prakash Paudyal pleaded guilty in December to two counts of common assault (domestic violence) after two separate attacks on patient David Nabulsi at the Bupa Seaforth facility were caught on a hidden camera between August 26 and September 3 in 2018.

In Manly Local Court on Wednesday, the 36-year-old was sentenced to eight months behind bars with a non-parole period of four months.

The victim's daughter said she is overwhelmed they "finally got justice", and "wouldn't even think twice" about planting a camera again.

Prakash Paudyal has been sentenced after he was caught on camera multiple times abusing an elderly patient. Picture: John Grainger

"Australia isn't going to put up with any violence or abuse and this just proves … we've set, sort of, a mark now, that you can't get away with it."

According to the agreed facts, she became concerned about her father's treatment and placed the hidden camera in his room, disguised as a photo frame.

"As the victim has deteriorated, he has lost the ability to speak and understand English and finds its hard to communicate with facility staff," the facts state. "The victim has the ability to speak fluent Arabic to his family during private conversations."

When changing the man's clothes, Paudyal hit him multiple times with a shoe and roughly pulled him by the shirt.

In another incident, Paudyal's actions caused the man to fall to the floor from his bed.

"The victim cries out attempting to soften his landing by placing his right hand on the bed," the facts state.

Paudyal, meanwhile, can be heard making loud noises before pointing at Mr Nabulsi.

He then proceeds to strip the bed as the elderly man remains lying on the ground.

Mr Nabulsi was diagnosed with dementia in 2015 and placed into care in 2017.

‘You can’t get away with it,’ said the victim’s daughter Ayda Celine at the sentencing in Manly. Picture: John Grainger